Ernesto Salgado Martinez
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- Gender
- male
- Country
- USA
- Location
- Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
- Date of birth
- November 17, 1975
- Age at first offence
- 20
- Characteristics
- to avoid arrest, police officer
- Victim profile
- Robert Martin (police officer)
- Method of murder
- Shooting
- Date(s) of murder
- August 15, 1995
- Years active
- 1995
- Date of arrest
- Next day
- Status
-
Sentenced to death
Sentenced to death on August 18, 1998
Case record
People
- Ernesto Salgado Martinez — defendant
- Officer Robert Martin — victim; DPS officer
The offence
In July 1995, Ernesto Salgado Martinez stole a blue Monte Carlo in California and took a license plate from another California car. Two days before the murder, he showed a friend in Globe his revolver with black electrical tape wrapped around the handle.
On August 15, 1995, several drivers noticed Martinez because of his excessive speed on S.R. 87. A couple passed him just after Officer Robert Martin had stopped him and was approaching the stolen Monte Carlo.
Martinez shot Officer Robert Martin four times and took his service revolver.
Investigation
Due to Martinez’s reckless, high-speed driving while fleeing the scene, several other drivers took down the Monte Carlo’s license plate number.
Martinez fled to California, where the police arrested him a day later and recovered the murder weapon and Officer Martin’s service revolver.
After his arrest, Martinez was overheard during a telephone call bragging to a friend—and laughing—that he had killed a cop.
Tests revealed that at least one of the bullets that struck Officer Robert Martin was fired from Martinez’s tape-wrapped revolver.
Arrest
Martinez was arrested in California a day after the August 15, 1995 murder, and the police recovered the murder weapon and Officer Martin’s service revolver.
Trial
- Presiding Judge (trial): Honorable Jeffrey Hotham
- Prosecutors: Robert Shuns and Juan Martinez
- Start of Trial: September 4, 1997
- Verdict: September 26, 1997
Sentencing
- Presiding Judge (sentencing): Honorable Christopher M. Skelly
- Sentencing: August 18, 1998
Aggravating Circumstances
- Murder of a peace officer in the line of duty
- Prior Serious Offenses: Murder of a peace officer in the line of duty
Mitigating Circumstances
- Age of 19 years and 9 months at time of murder
- Personality disorder
- Family history
Martinez had prior convictions for violent crimes, was in violation of his probation, and did not want to go back to prison.
Outcome
Martinez was sentenced to death on August 18, 1998.
Other details
- Martinez stole a blue Monte Carlo in California and stole a license plate from another California car.
- Two days before the murder, Martinez showed a friend in Globe his revolver with black electrical tape wrapped around the handle.
- Several drivers noticed Martinez because of his excessive speed on S.R. 87.
- Officer Robert Martin had stopped Martinez before the shooting.
- Several other drivers took down the Monte Carlo’s license plate number due to Martinez’s reckless, high-speed driving while fleeing the scene.
- The police arrested Martinez a day later in California and recovered the murder weapon and Officer Martin’s service revolver.
- After his arrest, Martinez bragged and laughed during a telephone call to a friend that he had killed a cop.
- Tests found at least one bullet that struck Officer Robert Martin was fired from Martinez’s tape-wrapped revolver.
- The record includes “Ernesto S. Martinez III home last updates contact.”
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